


Under My Skin

by dragonydreams



Series: Unfamiliar Dreams [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, rare pair I didn't know I needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 22:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7379572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonydreams/pseuds/dragonydreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sin comes to stay with Sara and Leonard, Mick realizes that the initial attraction he had for her is still there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under My Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from DC Comics, Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and Phil Klemmer. Baby Dean belongs to me.
> 
> Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie for looking this over for me.
> 
> Author's Note: Title from the song "Not My Father's Son" from the musical Kinky Boots.
> 
> Author's Note 2: [LoT_Fans Happy Prompt](http://lot-fans.livejournal.com/23126.html): Laugh Out Loud
> 
> Author's Note 3: This probably isn't the sequel you were expecting, but after I finished [The Best Part of Me](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7323796) I couldn't get the idea of Mick and Sin together out of my head. I hope you enjoy them together, too.

Mick knew that things would change once Leonard and Sara's baby arrived, but he hadn't realized just _how much_ they would change.

For starters, they were tired all the time. Leonard hardly ever wanted to go out and steal stuff anymore, and Sara didn't even want to spar with him. 

It was all… need to feed the baby, change the baby, sleep because the baby's sleeping… blah, blah, blah.

Sometimes Mick sat with the baby while they slept. He didn't touch the baby, mind you, but he sat with him so that his partner and his partner's fiancée could get some rest. Then, when the baby woke up, he went to get them.

One day, when baby Dean was three months old, Mick let himself into Leonard's house - he still couldn't believe his partner had gotten himself an actual house - to discover that there was someone else already there.

The woman's voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. So not Lisa, the snowy doctor, the reporter, or hawkgirl. 

He followed their voices into the kitchen where Sara was preparing a bottle. 

"Hey, Mick," Sara greeted him. "You remember my friend, Sin, from the shower in Star City, right?"

The petite brunette turned around and Mick had to quickly hide his delight. He'd enjoyed talking to the sassy girl at the baby shower in Star City. Made the trip there worth the trouble.

Mick nodded and grunted. "Yeah, good to see you again, Pixie."

Sin raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but didn't seem to object. "You, too, Scary."

Mick frowned. "Any chance you can come up with a better nickname for me? Don't want the little guy to be scared of me."

Sin gave him a considering once over, and Mick forced himself not to fidget under her scrutiny. "Smokey," she finally declared.

"I don't smoke," Mick protested in confusion.

"As in 'the bear'," Sin clarified. "Or would you prefer Teddy? Besides, I thought I heard you like fire, even if you don't smoke."

A soft snort sounded from behind Sin and Mick jerked his head up to see Sara trying to stifle her laughter. He'd almost forgotten she was there.

Sin turned back to her friend to say, "What's so funny?"

"I never noticed before how you both give everyone nicknames," Sara said. "It's cute."

"It's convenient," both Sin and Mick said, and Sara burst out laughing.

Sara's laughter drew Leonard into the room. He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "What's so funny?" he asked. 

"How did we never notice how similar Sin and Mick were?" Sara asked him quietly.

Leonard looked over at Sin leaning against the counter and Mick standing just inside the doorway. "Oh, yes, how could I ever tell the pixie and the bear apart?"

That only set Sara off again and she doubled over laughing.

"What'd I say?" Leonard asked the people not rolling on the floor with laughter.

"I call her Pixie," Mick started and Sin finished, "and I'm calling him Smokey."

"The bear," Leonard said, "got it. At least we're all in agreement."

Mick watched as Leonard finished preparing the baby's bottle before he crouched down to where Sara was sitting on the floor, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You done yet?" Leonard asked her.

"Yeah, I think so," Sara said and Leonard helped her to her feet. She looked over at Sin and Mick and started chuckling again.

"Excuse us for a few minutes," Leonard said with a sigh as he took Sara by the elbow, grabbed the bottle, and led Sara out of the room. 

After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, Mick crossed to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair and turned it around to straddle it, facing Sin. 

"So," he started, "how long you in town for?"

Sin hopped up on the counter facing him. "Don't know yet. Could be a few weeks, could be longer."

"You don't have to get back to Star City?" Mick asked, surprised. "No job to get back to? Boyfriend?"

"Nah," Sin said, waving off the notion. "Let's just say that I'm in between jobs. And boyfriends."

"So you decided to come hang out with the friend with the squalling baby?" Mick asked.

Sin shrugged. "What can I say? I missed Sara. The baby shower was the first time I'd seen Sara since she came back to life. I only knew she was alive because Thea told me, but by then she had left town. So when Sara invited me to come out here to help plan the wedding, I figured the opportunity was too good to pass up getting to see my friend again."

"I keep forgetting that she was dead," Mick said. "Didn't meet her until after."

"We live strange lives where you can meet someone after they died," Sin commented. 

"You don't know the half of it," Mick said.

"Like time traveling on a spaceship?" Sin asked.

"So you know about that?" Mick countered. 

Sin nodded. "A bit. Bet that was a trip."

"Sweetheart, you have no idea," Mick said. 

Sin flinched and shifted uncomfortably on her perch. "Can we stick to Pixie?"

Mick vaguely recalled that when Sara was the Canary she used to attack men who hurt women, and Sin ran with her in those days. Did she need rescuing from some man that called her Sweetheart? He certainly wasn't going to ask.

"Sure thing, Pixie," he agreed and was relieved to see her relax again. "So you're going to help with the wedding?"

"I guess. With her sister dead, Sara asked me to be the Maid of Honor. She always said I was like her little sister," Sin said. "I'm guessing you're the Best Man."

"You better believe it," Mick said. "Guess that means we'll be spending a lot of time together."

Sin was staring at him again. Not just looking at him, but observing him. "There are worse people to spend my time with," she finally said.

~~*~~

Later that night, Sara and Sin were hanging out in the finished basement that would be serving as Sin's bedroom while she was in town. She'd been offered the guest room upstairs, but it was right next to the baby's room, so she opted for the basement room with the pullout couch. Leonard was getting Dean ready for bed.

"So, what's the deal with Smokey?" Sin asked, nonchalantly.

"You know that you can call him Mick," Sara teased. 

"Not until I know the guy," Sin protested. "If then."

"Why do you ask?" Sara asked. She remembered Leonard telling her that Mick had expressed an interest in Sin after the baby shower, but she hadn't put much thought into the matter since they hadn't seen each other since then.

"No reason. Figured that I'll probably be seeing him a lot if I'm staying here since I get the impression that he comes over most days," Sin said. "Just wanted to know a bit more about him."

"I think you should form your own opinions about Mick," Sara said. When Sin looked disappointed with the lack of information, Sara added, "What I will tell you is that he and Leonard have been partners off and on for the better part of thirty years." Sara reached out to grasp Sin's hand. "Thirty _years_ ," she stressed. "That's longer than you've been alive."

Sin yanked her hand back and shifted uncomfortably. "Thanks, I hadn't noticed he was older than me until you pointed it out," she snarked.

"I'm not trying to be mean," Sara said. "Leonard's older than me, too. I know I have no leg to stand on. I can tell you from experience that most of the time, it doesn't matter. Except that sometimes it does. That extra life experience made them both harder. Mick's been through a lot and that mission we were all on together changed him, but I'd still trust him with my life, and with Leonard and Dean's."

Sin whistled lowly. "That's a pretty high endorsement from you."

"It's the truth," Sara said. "Look, I don't know if you're asking just because you're curious or because you're interested in him," Sin looked up sharply at that, "but I'm just going to caution you to be careful."

"You think he'd hurt me?" Sin asked, tentatively. 

"I think you could hurt each other," Sara said. "I think you both have a lot of baggage and I've never seen either of you in a relationship in the time that I've known either of you. But Leonard wasn't entirely joking earlier when he said you had a lot of common. You could be good together, if you want to be."

A faint blush stole up Sin's cheeks. "I don't even know if I'm interested in him like that. He's easy to talk to, though."

"I don't think that I have ever heard anyone say that about Mick before," Sara admitted. "Must be the person he was talking with."

"Yeah, whatever," Sin said, the blush deepening.

~~*~~

It was a few days later that Sara met Mick at the front door as he came into her house. She'd been watching him and Sin the past few days, and Mick was definitely smitten.

"Is now not a good time?" Mick asked as Sara pushed him back out onto the porch. 

"We're just going to have a little chat before you go inside," Sara said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is this where you ask me what my intentions are towards your little sister?" Mick teasingly asked.

"Actually, yes," Sara agreed. "We're not blind, you know. Leonard and I can see how you are with her."

"So what? I like her," Mick said. "Never tried to hide that."

"As a friend?" Sara pressed. 

"What's it matter to you? It's only been a few days since she got here. You and the boss didn't get together for months after meeting," Mick pointed out.

"We were idiots," Sara said. "I don't want you wasting time like we did."

"Huh?" That was not how Mick expected this conversation to go. "You're not going to try to warn me to stay away or at least not hurt her?"

"I know you won't hurt her, not on purpose," Sara said, smiling sweetly. "Because you know that I'll put you down if you do."

"Yes, ma'am," Mick agreed. "Understood."

"You're both good friends who deserve to find some of the same happiness that Leonard and I have. If you can find it together, I'm not going to stand in the way of it."

Sara turned and opened the door and Mick followed her inside to where Sin was playing on the floor with Dean. Sin looked up as they entered and beamed when she saw them. 

"Hey, Smokey, fancy seeing you here," she greeted him, still smiling.

Sara collected her son from the floor and gave him a sniff. "Someone needs a diaper change," she announced as she took him away.

Mick settled on the floor so he could lean back against the couch. 

"Don't any of you work?" Sin asked, scooting closer to him. "You're all here all the time."

"Work is for suckers," Mick grunted. "We seem like people who get jobs to you?"

"Not really, no," Sin conceded. "But you don't do anything to get money, either."

"Could say the same about you," Mick pointed out.

"I don't live here," Sin reminded him. "If I did, I'd figure out some way to get cash when I need it. How come you don't?"

Mick shrugged. "Got paid pretty well for that mission we were on together. We live simple lives so it's enough to keep us solvent for a good long while. At least until the boss is ready to start planning jobs again."

"You're thieves," Sin said in realization.

"Some of the best," Leonard said, entering the room. He took note of how close Sin and Mick were sitting on the floor. The fact that Mick was on the floor at all spoke volumes to anyone who knew him. He wasn't a fan of being that close to the ground. "That going to be a problem?"

Sin held her hands up. "Hey, what you do to make money is none of my business. As long as Sara's cool with it, so am I. I was just making conversation."

"Smart girl," Leonard commented. "Mick, a word?"

Sin stood. "Guess that's my cue. I'll be down in my room. See ya 'round, Smokey."

"You too, Pixie," Mick responded, getting to his feet as well. He waited until Sin was out of the room before turning to Leonard. "What's up, boss?"

"You were sitting on the floor," Leonard said. 

Mick frowned. "So? That's where she was sitting when we came in."

"You don't like sitting on the floor," Leonard pressed.

"If you've got something to say, just say it," Mick grumbled. 

"You like her," Leonard said. 

"You already knew that," Mick reminded him. "Sara's already talked to me about her today. Maybe you two should check in with each other to see who's gonna give me a lecture."

"No lecture," Leonard promised. "Just wondering what's taking you so long, old man."

Mick frowned. "That some crack about my age?"

"Wasn't meant to be," Leonard said, "but now that you mention it… she is ten years younger than Sara."

"Not this again," Mick griped, flopping onto the couch. "Can't you just be happy that I found someone besides you that I want to spend time with?"

Leonard joined him. "So you like spending time with her?" he drawled.

"Since when do we talk about feelings?" Mick asked. 

"Since I got myself a family."

"So I gotta be all mushy, too? Didn't know that was part of the deal."

"What's the hold up?" Leonard asked, again. "Never seen you like this with a woman before."

"Sin's not like the women I usually hook up with," Mick finally said. "You and me, we don't do relationships, remember? At least, you didn't."

"I remember," Leonard said. "People can change."

"You know my history with women. Usually I meet someone at a bar, we go somewhere for a few hours of fun, and that's it. Never see her again. Sin's not some barfly hussy and I ain't gonna treat her like one. What do normal people do with the girl they like?" Mick asked.

"Like I know? Sara and I didn't exactly have what you'd call a normal courtship," Leonard said. "I could ask Sara."

"Don't you dare," Mick growled. "I have an idea, and I was gonna ask her, but you came in and kicked her out."

"Then by all means," Leonard said, gesturing towards the door. 

Mick stood and headed towards the door to the basement. He knocked on the open door and called down the stairs, "Can I come down?"

"No one's stopping you," Sin called back. 

She was sitting in the armchair next to the open sofa bed, flipping through a magazine. She set it aside when Mick reached the bottom of the stairs. 

"What's up?" she asked.

"I know this is short notice," Mick hesitantly started, "but there's this bonfire down by the waterfront tonight. Some kind of autumn festival. Was wondering if you wanted to go check it out with me."

"Like a date?" Sin asked, slowly standing and walked over to him.

Mick nodded sharply. "Yeah, like a date."

"Did you ask Mom and Dad?" Sin teased. 

Mick looked a little green. "Please don't call them that. They've been giving me enough shit about our ages already."

"You, too?" Sin asked, a little surprised, although she supposed she shouldn't be. 

"Seems to be the only thing they object to, at least," Mick said. "It doesn't bother you, does it?"

"That you're, like, old enough to be my dad?" Sin asked. Mick nodded. "I didn't know my dad that well. He died when I was a kid. Doesn't mean I have a daddy fetish, though. You're not some smooth talker who's just trying to get in my pants. I can spot those kinds of creeps a mile away. You're not like that with me."

"You deserve better'n that," Mick said, feeling extremely uncomfortable talking this earnestly.

"Not sure everyone would agree with you there," Sin said. 

"They should," Mick insisted.

"Which is why I'd love to go to the bonfire with you," Sin said.

Mick's face lit up like he was at the bonfire already. "Yeah?"

Sin smiled a bit shyly. "Yeah. When're you going to pick me up?"

"I'll come back at 7pm," Mick quickly said. "We can grab some food when we get there before the bonfire starts."

"It's a date," Sin said.

Mick started to back towards the stairs and tripped over the bottom one. "I'll see you in a few hours," he promised.

"Go," Sin laughed. "I'll be here."

Mick hurried up the stairs, giddy as a schoolboy. He saw Sara, Leonard, and Dean in the living room as he passed it and poked his head in. "You can stop fussing," he told them. "I'm picking her up at 7 o'clock tonight."

~~*~~

At six-thirty, Sin surfaced from her room and joined Sara and Leonard in the kitchen where Leonard was making dinner.

Sara looked up from her phone when Sin sat next to her and frowned. "Is that what you're wearing?"

Sin looked down at the black printed t-shirt and black jeans. "Obviously."

"Shoulda stayed hidden until he got here," Leonard commented. 

"Why?" Sin asked. 

Sara grabbed her arm and pulled Sin to her feet. "C'mon, I've got something you can borrow."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing? This is how I dress," Sin protested as Sara pulled her up the stairs to her bedroom. 

"You're going on a date," Sara reminded her. "You're not supposed to dress like you usually do."

"I'm not wearing a dress," Sin insisted as Sara riffled through a drawer.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Sara agreed. She pulled out a long sleeved red shirt with a scooped neck and tossed it at Sin. "Here, try this on."

Sin turned her back to Sara, pulled off her t-shirt, and slipped into the red shirt. She was relieved to discover they were three-quarter length sleeves and therefore were not hanging off her hands. She adjusted the top and turned back to Sara. 

"It's tight," Sin protested.

"It's fitted," Sara corrected her. "You've got a good figure; don't be afraid to show it off."

"Bad things happen to girls that show off their figures," Sin objected.

"Not with Mick," Sara said. "Now, do you have any necklaces?"

"Yeah, in my room," Sin conceded.

"Good. Go put one on," Sara instructed, heading back down to the kitchen. 

Sin continued down to her room to sort through her jewelry. She put on a silver choker and another silver necklace that hung past her chest.

She startled when the doorbell rang. Grabbing her leather jacket, she slipped it on as she headed upstairs.

Leonard answered the door to admit Mick. 

"You rang the doorbell," Leonard commented. "You never ring the doorbell."

Mick shrugged. "Seemed the thing to do," he said. A smile crept over his face when he spotted Sin standing by the stairs to her room.

"Right on time, I'm impressed," Sin said as she walked over to where he and Leonard were standing.

"Lenny's trained me well," Mick said.

Sara joined them and handed Sin a key to the house. "You're going to need this now, I guess."

"Thanks," Sin said, slipping the key into her jacket pocket. "I guess we'll get going."

"One second," Sara said. "You've got your phone and money?"

"Yes, Mom," Sin said, rolling her eyes. "I have left home before. Can we go now?"

"Of course. Have fun," Sara said. 

Sin exited the house first, so she didn't hear Leonard tell Mick, "Don't keep her out too late."

"Asshole," Mick shot back as he closed the door behind himself. 

"What was that about?" Sin asked, walking beside Mick to his car. 

"Told me not to keep you out too late," Mick told her. 

"I guess this would be one of those reasons to not go out with the friend of the friends you're staying with," Sin said. "Way too involved."

"It's creepy is what it is," Mick said as they got into the car and he started the engine and began driving. "Don't like them acting like your parents."

"Oh, I'm with you there," Sin readily agreed. "Sara's the closest thing I've got to family, but I like it better when she's playing big sister to mom."

"How'd you two meet anyway?" Mick asked.

"You know about the earthquake in the Glades a few years ago?" Sin checked. Mick nodded. "Well, life in the Glades was never exactly safe, but it all went to shit after that quake. I got cornered by a bunch of guys and they were going to... " she paused and shuddered, "but Sara saved me. I guess, technically, The Canary saved me."

"I'm glad she did," Mick said.

"Me too," Sin readily agreed. "I don't like to think about what would have happened to me if she hadn't been there."

Mick grunted his agreement. 

They drove in silence for a while, when Sin asked, "So, uh, how did you and Leonard meet?"

"Saved him from getting shivved in juvie," Mick told her. "Haven't been able to get rid of him since."

Sin huffed out a laugh. "Never thought I'd have something in common with Leonard aside from loving Sara."

"How so?"

"We both got saved by people that we are still friends with," Sin said. "That's a bond that's hard to break."

"Tell me about it," Mick said, thinking of his time as Chronos, and all of his frustrations with his _partner_ before that on the Waverider.

The sun was just starting to set as they found a place to park by the waterfront. There were rows of food trucks at the edge of the parking lot abutting the path to the bonfire and they both decided that they wanted burgers. Once they had their food, which Mick insisted on paying for, they began to walk towards where the fire would be and found a place to sit along the way.

"It's good to see a girl who isn't afraid to eat real food," Mick commented after having devoured nearly half his burger with two bites.

Sin wiped some ketchup from the corner of her mouth with a paper napkin and licked her lips. "I've been mostly on my own since I was twelve," she said. "The aunt I lived with after my parents died worked nights, so we hardly ever saw each other. You learn quickly to eat what's there. Being a picky eater means you don't eat."

"I've been there. Was in foster homes after juvie until I turned eighteen, then it was me and the streets," Mick offered.

A crowd was gathering by the tower of wood for the bonfire, so Mick and Sin gathered up their garbage to toss in a nearby bin before finding a place to stand by the soon-to-be-lit fire.

Some town official gave a, thankfully, short speech and lit a long match, setting it to the newspaper and kindling. 

Mick's breath caught as the fire began to grow. His need for the flame wasn't as strong as it had been before the Time Masters got their hands on him, but he'd always love watching stuff burn.

With a sudden realization, he murmured, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Sin tilted her head up to look at him. "Why?"

Mick leaned down so that he could quietly tell her, "I used to have a bit of an obsession with fire." He subconsciously pulled at his gloves. "That's the one thing I can be grateful to the Time Masters for. They dulled the obsession to an appreciation."

Sin slowly reached out to touch one of his gloved hands. "Is that why you always wear these?"

"Yeah," Mick admitted around a knot in his throat. "There was a job that went south a few years back. Got caught up in admiring the flames. Got some pretty bad burn scars over my arms, back, and hands."

"We don't have to stay," Sin offered, slipping her hand into his.

Mick looked down at their joined hands. Her small, bare one was dwarfed by his much larger, gloved hand. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

He looked up at the growing bonfire. The smaller logs had caught fire now and it was spreading to the larger ones. It was still beautiful, but the siren's song no longer called to him.

"I'm good, if you are," he finally said.

"Cool. I'd like to stay, then," Sin said.

Mick straightened back up and together they stood and watched the fire grow. Once it had fully consumed the tower of logs, Sin pulled on Mick's hand, backing away from the heat of the flames. It took him a moment to realize what she was doing before he followed her away from the fire.

"Sorry," she apologized, "it was just getting a bit too warm for me standing so close."

"It's fine," Mick said, spotting a bench a few feet away. He led her over to it and they sat, still able to see the top of the tower of flames.

"So, what now?" Sin asked after a few minutes.

"I hadn't really planned anything after the bonfire," Mick admitted. "Did you want to go somewhere else?"

"This is usually when a guy tries to take me back to his place," Sin admitted.

"Is that what you want to do?" Mick asked, slowly. This felt like a trap.

"Honestly, I don't know," Sin said. "I like you, but I don't want to rush into bed. I hope you don't mind."

"Believe it or not, I feel the same," Mick said.

Sin looked like she didn't really believe him, at first, but then she relaxed and shifted closer to him until their thighs were pressed together. 

Mick found this to be an interesting development. Apparently saying you wanted to go slowly led to increased casual touching.

Mick lifted his arm to settle around her shoulders and Sin snuggled against his side, her eyes on the fire.

This was nice, Mick decided. 

"Anyone ever tell you you're like a furnace?" Sin commented.

"Lenny used to tell me that all the time," Mick said.

"You and Leonard snuggled a lot, did you?" Sin teased.

"That going to be a problem?" Mick asked.

Sin stiffened slightly against his side, leaning back to look up at him. "Seriously? You and him?"

"Wasn't often, and not for a very long time," Mick admitted. "You okay with that?"

Sin shrugged. "We've all got a past. Some are just more colorful than others," she said.

They sat curled together on the bench, watching the fire for another hour. Sometimes they talked, but for the most part they were both content to simply watch the fire and the other people who were there.

It was Sin who finally suggested leaving. "That's it," she announced, standing. "My ass is nearly asleep."

Mick chuckled and stood as well. "Did you want to go for a walk?"

"That sounds great, but we should probably get going," Sin said, looking at the time on her phone.

They walked slowly back toward the car, neither in a rush for the evening to end.

Before Sin could get in the car, Mick caught her arm, to stop her. She looked back at him curiously and he smoothly lifted her to sit on the hood of the car. 

"What are you--?" Sin started to ask, but she was stopped by Mick's lips on hers. He pulled back after a few seconds, questions in his eyes. "Oh," Sin exclaimed and then smiled. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him back in to kiss her again. 

Mick's hands tightened on her hips as he pressed himself closer, giving in to the kiss. 

Time ceased to exist as their lips moved together in perfect synchronicity. 

It was only the sound of a car being locked and someone's call of "get a room" that finally forced them to pull apart, both breathing heavily.

"Damn, Smokey," Sin said, licking her lips. "We shoulda been doing that all night."

Mick's fingers flexed on her hips and he grinned wolfishly at her. "Next time, Pixie," he promised her.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Sin said, running her hands down his chest before pushing him away. 

Reluctantly, Mick took a step back, allowing Sin to hop down off the hood of the car and walk on slightly shaky legs to the passenger door.

Mick circled the car and climbed into the driver's seat, discreetly adjusting himself along the way. 

The drive back to Leonard and Sara's house seemed much too fast. It felt like only seconds had passed since they'd begun to drive before Mick was parking the car again. 

After unfastening her seatbelt, Sin leaned over the console to kiss Mick goodnight. What she intended to be a quick peck, soon lengthened. Once again they were startled apart by someone else. Only in this case it was Leonard tapping on Sin's window.

"Fuck," Sin nearly shouted when she saw Leonard smirking at them from outside the car. "Asshole," she added, slumping in her seat. "I should probably go in. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Nothing could keep me away," Mick said. Ignoring his friend, who was now tapping on the roof of the car, Mick leaned over to give Sin one last quick kiss. 

Sin roughly shoved her door open, hoping to clip Leonard, but he was too fast and stepped out of the way. 

"Good night, Smokey," Sin said before turning to glare at Leonard on her way into the house.

Leonard slipped into the car, causing Mick to sigh.

"What now?" Mick grumbled. 

"Did you two lovebirds have fun?" Leonard drawled.

"We did, as you saw," Mick gruffly responded. "Was that really necessary?"

"That was payback for you constantly interrupting Sara and me on the Waverider," Leonard said.

"Those were mostly accidental," Mick argued. "What you just did was not."

"I couldn't resist," Leonard said. "Besides, I must admit, curiosity was getting the better of me."

"You fantasizing about me and the Pixie?" Mick asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Leonard's nose wrinkled with disgust. "No. Just wondering how you two managed to spend an evening alone together when neither one of you is much of a conversationalist."

"We did just fine," Mick said. "Plenty to talk about. Not that we felt the need to talk all the time. Some people can appreciate being quiet."

"And you were okay at the bonfire?" Leonard asked.

"When did you become everyone's dad?" Mick grumbled. 

"Mick," Leonard drawled.

"Was fine at the fire," Mick admitted. "I told you before, the obsession's gone. Just a healthy respect and admiration is left. 'Sides, gave me the chance to tell Pixie about the burns."

"You told her? On the first date?" Leonard asked, surprised. He knew that Mick didn't like to talk about his scars. None of them did.

Mick shrugged. "She asked about the gloves. Wasn't going to lie to her."

"Did you take them off?" Leonard asked.

"Not quite there yet, boss," Mick said. "We agreed to take it slow. Do it right."

"Didn't know you knew how to do slow," Leonard commented.

"Never wanted to before," Mick said. "Like I said before, Pixie's different."

"Yes, she is." Leonard paused, and then said in all seriousness, "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, boss," Mick said, smiling briefly. 

Leonard reached for the door handle. "You coming in since I interrupted your good night?"

"Yeah, I think I will," Mick agreed and they both got out of the car and headed inside.

Sara was waiting for them just inside the door, her arms crossed and a frown on her face. 

"I think you're in trouble," Mick leaned over to whisper in Leonard's ear. To Sara, he asked, "Pixie in her room?"

"Kitchen," Sara said, still glaring at her fiancé.

Mick headed towards the kitchen, smiling as he heard Sara ask Leonard, "What were you thinking?"

Sin was by the kitchen sink, rinsing out two mugs before putting them in the dishwasher.

"She's got you doing the dishes at this time of night?" Mick asked, crossing to lean against the counter near her.

"Hey," Sin greeted him, smiling. "Didn't think I'd see you again tonight." She closed the dishwasher and dried her hands, turning to face Mick. "Sara made hot chocolate when I came in, so I was just putting those mugs in the dishwasher before they got all gross."

"I have a feeling your talk went much differently than mine," Mick said.

"You're probably right. We were all girl talk. Leonard had disapproving dad face out there," Sin said.

"He's coming around," Mick said.

"Yeah?" Sin asked. "That's great."

"It was even his idea that I get a second chance to say goodnight," Mick informed her, taking a step closer.

Sin's hands reached for his hips, encouraging him to close the distance between them. "I may have to thank him for that."

Mick leaned down so he was at her eye level. "Probably better to not say anything to him. Let him think you're still mad."

"I like how your mind works," Sin said, licking her lips. 

She rose up on her toes, meeting Mick's descending lips. Mick's hands grasped Sin's waist and lifted her so she could sit on the counter, swallowing her squeak of surprise. He hummed with pleasure as their heights evened out and he was able to step between her legs, which Sin looped around his hips as her hands dug into his back.

Mick was vaguely aware of voices behind him - "No, you already interrupted them once tonight." "They're in our kitchen" - but he tuned them out as they drifted away. 

"That was a much better way to end the evening," Sin sighed when the kiss ended.

"Agreed."

"And look, I'm sitting on something again," Sin observed.

"Probably going to happen a lot," Mick admitted. "You're too damn short."

Sin laughed. "Not the first time I've noticed that."

Mick helped her to jump down. "I should probably get going."

"C'mon, I'll walk you out," Sin offered, taking his hand in hers.

Sara and Leonard were on the couch in the living room as they passed through. "Night, Mick," Sara said.

"Good night," Mick returned without stopping, knowing his friends could see Sin holding his hand.

Sin opened the door and Mick stepped outside. "I'll see you tomorrow," he promised.

"Sweet dreams," Sin called after him.

"You know they will be," Mick called back.

For the first time since before his time on the Waverider, Mick looked forward to what the next day would bring.

The End


End file.
